Dr Renate Volpe is a recognized expert and coach in the arena of people development, leadership and change management.  She represents a unique combination of academic ability (PHD in leadership) and success as a corporate player, with 30 years of business experience (first as an employee and then as a business owner, holding retainers up to the present day with blue chip companies such as Anglo American for over 20 years), as well as being a resilient, innovative entrepreneur, author, coach and owner of numerous successful companies.

Dr Volpe holds a high media profile writing monthly for The Star – Workplace, Woman Inc, and BWA magazine. Beeld, Business day, Leader.co.za, Inspirational women, Shape, Me magazine, Aboveboard, PMP, CEO magazine, and Convergence, are amongst some of the publications and business journals publishing her writings. Regular TV appearances include SABC 3 talk show; Summit TV, Saffron TV, E TV and Enterprise Zone. Radio interviews include Metro FM, SA FM, North West FM, Radio Today, Money Web, Valley FM, Cape Community Radio station and Harmony FM.

Her latest publication is “Lessons from the school for hard knocks”. The foreword is written by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu and the publication is endorsed by Tina Thomson (CEO, Business Woman’ Association 2004 – 2006), Gill Markus, (Gender Chair GIBS, ABSA Chair) and Theo Garrun (Editor, the Star, workplace).

Dr Volpe was a co founder of YEN (the Youth Empowerment Network), and is passionate about her mentorship of HIRS YOUNG.

Renate is a futurist and trend setter. The HIRS Company was established in 2005 and has since become recognizable as a leading brand that is synonymous with the development of leadership acumen. Current passions remain the coaching of leaders, key note speaking, traveling, gardening and teaching the Art of Political Acumen in the world of work.

After completing her Bachelor's degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Juliet Newton spent four years as a teacher and three years in sales and training in the financial services industry.

Since 1996, Juliet has been building Avocado Vision from a 1-woman show to the company it is today, paying 29 salaries at last count! She is specialist in the training field, and has had a particular interest in exploring the communication part of human interaction. The product offering of Avo reflects her passion for helping people become more effective by lifting their communication skills game! She is a businesswoman and entrepreneur. Jules speaks regularly at blue chip corporate conferences and functions, and lectures on the MBA programme at GIBS.

As CEO, she has grown Avocado Vision into the business it is today. She is also co-founder and director of Ngikwazi Field Marketing (PTY) Ltd.: a company set up in November 2006 to launch and manage the retailer network of the National Lottery. She was named Emerging Leader of the Year 2006 by the Unisa School of Business Management. Jules is a member of the National Speakers Association of South Africa and was recently profiled in the book Inspirational Women at Work.

Her community support roles include: founding member and director of Own Two Feet section 21 company; trustee for the Jeppe Trust; governing body member Jeppe High school for Boys.

Robin Wheeler is a transformation specialist, professional speaker, acclaimed author, and publisher, who coined the phrase 'being yourself for a living' as an intelligent response to the changing world of work.
 
He helps contributors grasp the changes in business and themselves, and equips them with the insights needed to thrive in the new economy. By facilitating a shift from their thinking to their whole being, he helps people and businesses innovate and lead the way in the most exciting time in history.
 
Robin is the author of the INSIGHTS series of books and has been interviewed on almost every radio station and television magazine show in South Africa over the last decade.

Lynda Smith has a passionate love of people and the development of future leaders. She is a master networker, innovator and big picture thinker. Lynda has spent 32 years in business and has a diverse set of skills that include strategy, leadership, marketing, sales, coaching, counseling, facilitation, writing, public speaking and networking.